


Picks of the Litter

by BuffyRowan



Series: King and Country [11]
Category: Kingsman (Movies), The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Gen, M/M, not fans of Aramis, not fans of Chester, picking the junior knights, references to Musketeers season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 11:10:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13165704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuffyRowan/pseuds/BuffyRowan
Summary: We know that Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artagnan were the successful candidates for the positions of junior knights, but whose candidates were they? Why were they chosen to compete? Brief glimpses into how they were offered the chance to be candidates.





	1. Lamorak

**Author's Note:**

> So, Chester King is a fairly universally disliked character. Aramis, however is more loved. Me? I'm not a fan of this particular incarnation of Aramis. Because while the character is always a womanizer, this particular Aramis seems to be particularly naive if not downright callous about the repercussions of his dalliances. TLDR: to me, this Aramis is a selfish jerk who uses the women around him with no thought to the consequences for them. For details of the events in the series giving me this opinion, see notes at the end of the story. I don't hate Aramis, I just don't particularly _like _this version of him. So he comes off in a bit less flattering of a light.__

_Chapter-specific Author's Note: This chapter does reference season 2 episode 8, "The Prodigal Father". I may or may not return to this topic in a later fic, but suffice to say that Belgard and Treville had a similar falling out in this universe, and for similar reasons. ___

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Jean was hopeful, but wary about approaching his first choice of candidate for Lamorak. He remembered Marie fondly, and was ashamed of what he accepted Belgard doing to her, even if she’d never spoken a word against the man herself. Jean wanted to offer her son this opportunity, not just for her sake, but because the boy’s scores and aptitudes fit almost perfectly what Kingsman needs for this knight. 

But there is a fair measure of Belgard in the boy, too. It’s there in his size, his booming voice, his willingness to get into a fight (or, apparently, cheat idiots at cards), and the shrewd way he watches the world when no one is paying attention. The question is whether Porthos has taken after his father in some of the less savory aspects, or whether Marie’s influence was ultimately stronger. 

He got his answer when Porthos recognized him from old photos, the faint shadow of suspicion Porthos did his best to conceal, and the booming laughter and honest, cheeky glee that consumed him when Jean asked, “Want to succeed at something your father never even got invited to try so you can rub it in his face?”

Hearing Porthos allow his accent to slip a bit, knowing the trust he was being shown, made the sting of shame at ever calling Belgard a friend fade just a bit.


	2. Gaheris

He was really more amused than the situation strictly called for. He’d come to approach the son of an old school friend about being a candidate for Gaheris. Instead, he’d walked in on said friend’s son sexually harassing a subordinate. That was rather annoying, actually, and Armand made a mental note to discuss with Brenden exactly where his son had gotten such terrible attitudes regarding women. But a second subordinate had come to the rescue of the first, not only placing himself between the young lady and her harasser (with some force towards the self-important little toe rag) but also glaring him right in the eye as he outlined the amount of evidence he’d already collected on the young man’s unsavory habits with females under his supervision.

Something about the righteous fury, the barely-contained anger and violence, the absolute way he was tearing his superior’s supposed security against retaliation to shreds appealed to Armand. 

So instead of taking Brenden’s son to lunch and sounding him out, Armand made a statement to authorities backing the complaint Charles d’Artagnan lodged on behalf of young Mrs. Bonancieux and several others (Mrs. Bonancieux looking like she’d rather prefer a more bloody method of retaliation, actually.)

It wasn’t until hours after he’d left d’Artagnan his card and instructions to appear for the trials, when he’s looking over some intelligence files in his office that he realized exactly what it was that had appealed about the young man: he reminded Armand of a young Jean.


	3. Gawain

Ian didn’t know Athos was back from university for the weekend, or else he would have sought his godson out sooner. They were well-known in the family for slipping away from social events for a game of chess or two, neither one much for empty socializing. But the last Ian had heard anything, Athos was neck-deep in classes, tearing through his coursework at a ferocious pace. 

The lad certainly looked like he’d been holed up in dusty classrooms and libraries for months on end, paler than even his good English breeding could account for. There were dark circles under his eyes, and Ian could tell at a glance that he’d already had nearly as many fingers of scotch as he did on fingers on his hands. 

Ian poured himself a drink and sank into the chair next to him, “You look like shit, lad. They’re working you too hard at that university of yours.”

Athos tossed back the last of the scotch in his glass, “I keep taking more classes, hoping to find something . . . worthwhile.” A bleak look crossed his face, one that Ian never wanted to see on someone so young. “Father assumes I’ll get my degree and take over running the estate while my brother takes his seat in the house of lords. Or that I’ll become a barrister, or a professor. While I can’t think of a worse fate. It’s all such . . . bullshit. None of it matters, anyone could do it. Not to mention that I’d be slitting my wrists in boredom within the week.”

Ian considered his godson for a moment, weighing what he knew of the lad’s temperament, his test scores, his interest in martial arts and fencing, and it all solidified a decision for him. He plucked the glass from the boy’s hand, replacing it with one of his Kingsman business cards. “When you’re sober, call me. When you do, I’ll tell you a date and a time. You show up at that address at that time, and you’ll have an opportunity for something that isn’t bullshit, that won’t bore you to death. Something that lets you fulfill your duty as a young man of your rank and breeding, while applying every bit of your brains and skills to the task."


	4. Tristan

Chester stood to pull Aramis into a brief hug, “Good to see you, my boy. You look more like your mother every day, you know. You must be beating women off with a stick.”

Aramis replied with a wink and a roguish grin, “Only after I’ve had my pick of the prettiest.”

Chester laughed, “Right you are.” The waiter came to take their orders, and he waited until they were alone again to speak again. “Though you are taking precautions, I hope? I heard there was a bit of bother with the daughter of one of your father’s tenants.” 

It reassured him to see Aramis look ashamed, “Yes, well. It turned out she wasn’t pregnant, and I’ve learned my lesson about vigilance with condoms.”

“As long as you’ve learned from your mistake.” He took a sip of his wine, “Because I have something in mind for you, but there’s no room for carelessness. No slips with pretty young things, no getting caught going through the window because the lady’s husband came home early.” He gestured to stop Aramis’ protests, “This opportunity will give you a chance to really _do _something, more than chasing skirts and sitting bored out of your mind in board rooms. You’re my choice for it, but you’ll have to work damn hard for it. If you don’t, and you make me look like a fool for suggesting you for the job, you’ll wish you’d actually knocked up that common little tart and been forced to marry her.”__

**Author's Note:**

> Aramis' behavior with his lovers, in order of appearance in the show:  
> Adele: he sleeps with Richelieu's mistress, but seems shocked when Richelieu removes her when he discovers her unfaithfulness. She's mistress to a guy with a lot of power and secrets, if he can't trust her physical fidelity, he can't trust she'll keep quiet about anything she might know, so she's a security risk.  
> Helene: ok, he was young when they were together, but he'd been getting physical with her without considering the consequences if she got pregnant. That she ended up content as a nun was serendipity, but things could have been a lot worse for her.  
> The queen: I think Athos summed up the stupidity about doing the deed, but what was worse was that it was his behavior after that tipped Richelieu (and later Rocheforte) off that there was something between him and the queen.  
> Marguerite: he has an affair with her solely to get access to his son, screwing with her chances to make a decent marriage, putting her in Rocheforte's line of fire as he tries to take down the Musketeers, cheats on her with the Queen, and basically started the chain of dominoes that caused her to commit suicide, without ever seeming to realize/care that he was doing this to her.  
> And at the end of the series, what did he get? A position at court and a chance to keep carrying on with the Queen. And no sign that he's learned that actions have consequences, especially for women in this time and place, despite seeing the dire consequences for several of his paramours.


End file.
